Big Ideas For Small Spaces

Every year it seems like I live in a smaller and smaller space. I joke with people that some day I'm going to be living in a phone booth.

This is California. Space is at a premium. Unless you are rolling in the dough or want to spend every dime you earn on a giant house, you're going to end up in a smaller house or apartment.

Let's start with the outside. Even the smallest most humble of yard spaces can be use for a fantastic garden. I am a big advocate of Square Foot Gardening also known as postage stamp gardening.

Divide your available garden space into one foot squares using strings and pegs or 2 x 4's or PVC or whatever is readily available. Use last years sunflower stalks if you have to. Plant something different in each square, keeping taller plants in the back and lower plants closer to the sidewalk. That way the tall plants don't block the sunlight. Mix veggies and flowers together to maximize your space.

Some flowers like marigolds and gopher purge help control pests as well.

If you have a bad back or plan to garden from a wheelchair, put in raised beds at waist height. The closer you bring flowers to eye level, the more you can enjoy them.

Learn to garden in containers. Make sure the container has holes for drainage. Fill with a few inches of broken crockery or tiles and then fill with potting mix. Add your plant. Many varieties of plants do well in containers such as strawberries, succulents, lettuce, radishes, carrots, chives, parsley, and patio tomatoes. Ask your local nursery expert for advice for your local growing area.

When space is small, think vertical, not horizontal. Train things up chainlink fences, or put trellises in front of brick walls. Sweet peas and squash do great this way. So do pole beans.

If you want to make your space look bigger, use mirrors. They can be framed mirrors or a wall of mirrored tiles Have you ever gone into what seemed like a big restaurant only to realize it was a small space with a mirrored wall? Mirrors reflect more light, so you can save by not turning on so many lamps.

Use those nooks and crannies. Stores like Ikea offer all kinds of corner shelves, under the bed storage boxes and closet organizers. Organizing space is an artform. It's not my forte. Luckily, stores that specialize in organizing spaces will help you design for any shape of room.

Get rid of furniture that is out of proportion for the room. That will automatically make your space look bigger. You can get coffee tables with enclosed storage underneath. A sleeper sofa or a futon will give you an extra bed without taking up any extra space.

If you have an open area under your stairs, use it. Sometimes you can fit a small dresser under there. Sometimes you can use the spot as a study area for a teenager. Put a beanbag chair and a lamp under there and make a cozy reading nook. Or hang a curtain from the bottom and hide your clutter or secret treasures behind the curtain.

Write down your priorities. If getting in shape is more important to you than a comfortable couch to lounge on, get rid of the couch and add a treadmill or rowing machine. Make your space match your needs.

Think twice before bringing more stuff into your space. If you park a desk in front of your treadmill, you won't be able to use the treadmill. Aim for every inch of your house to be useable space. If you live with other people, sit down and have a meeting. Do you best to share the space fairly.

If you want a goth bedroom and your sister is Little Mary Sunshine, this can be challenging. Work out some compromises. If the room is big enough, you can hang a curtain down the center. Put the black drapes on your side, and the blue sky with clouds on her side.

All women need a desk space. Men call it a den and feel entitled to it. I don't care if you call it a sewing room, a craft nook, a poet's corner or a sacred space; you need your own spot for journaling, bill paying, and drafting your plans to take over the universe or at least organize the family reunion.

You can maximize your space by installing the type of shelves that have hooks underneath. If you get unpainted shelves you can put your own color of paint or crackle finish or faux finish on them. If it's for a kid's room, have them each put a painted handprint on it or some other personal touch. Use the top of the shelf to store games, toys, books, personal items, trophies, etc. Use the hooks to hang up coats, sweaters, umbrellas or scarves and mittens.

Use strips of plastic needlepoint canvas to hang your earrings on. Cut it with scissors to any shape you like. I hang mine in those narrow strips between mirrors and doors where nothing else fits. You can hang a lot of earrings in a small space and they won't get tangled. Then you can get dressed faster because you can see in a second which earrings go with your outfit.

Or take some bulky yarn and braid it until you have a braid about four feet long. Clip all your barrettes to it and hang it on a nail or hook.

Be creative. If one thing doesn't work try another. If you organize just one thing a day, in a month your place will look so much roomier.